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Crews To Make Permanent Lane Closures On I-635/LBJ

A road construction crew works on a widening project. (credit: Getty Images/Joe Raedle)

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – There are some major lane closures happening on I-635 /LBJ Freeway – and the closures are permanent.

The HOV Lanes on LBJ, between Valley View and Midway, will be closed, in both directions, starting the evening of June 17.

All of the past and future construction is part of the LBJ Express Project. The 5-year transformation will ultimately give 635 two separate levels. The inner lanes will run below ground and will be tolled.

“It’s gonna something very similar to Central Expressway through downtown, where on Central the frontage roads are kinda cantilevered over the main lanes. Our main lanes will be kinda hanging over the managed [toll] lanes that will be below surface,” explained LBJ Express Project spokesperson Lara Kohl.

There will be no ‘tunnel’ effect since the bottom section of the interstate will open to the top.

But Kohl says first things first. To get the project moving several bridges need to be removed and the HOV lanes are being ‘commandeered’ for another purpose.

“The barrier between the eastbound and westbound HOV lanes is gonna have to be removed so we can use that area to do a traffic shift. That whole area is going to be open up so we can use it for traffic,” she said.

The demolished bridges will eventually be replaced.

The LBJ Express Expansion is $2 Billion project that will add 13 miles of lanes extending from Irving to northeast Dallas.

The end result is meant to eliminate traffic congestion for the more than 250,000 drivers who cruise Dallas’ busiest freeway. The plan is for LBJ Freeway to be capable of handling 500,000 cars a day, in 10 years.